Solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube

instructions.md

Solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube

Notation

Sides

• F - Front
• B - Back
• D - Bottom
• U - Top
• L - Left
• R - Right

Turns

• X - Clockwise
• X' - Counter-clockwise
• x - Double layers clockwise
• x' - Double layers counter-clockwise
• RA - Righty Algorithm (R U R' U')
• LA - Lefty Algorithm (L' U' L U)

Step 1: Daisy

Yellow in the center surrounded by white edges. All intuitive.

Step 2: Cross

Turn the top to an edge so it matches its front facing center piece. Then turn the front face twice to face the bottom (white)

Step 3: First layer corners.

White side down. Get a white corner at the top right in position to be swapped with the bottom right corner. Make sure it corresponds to the target center pieces. Do the RA until it's there. Corner trapped in place? Repeat RA until solved. Corners swapped?

Step 4: Second layer edges.

Find an edge on the top layer that doesn't have yellow. Position it over its corresponding center piece. Figure out which way it needs to go.

If left:

• Spin the top to the right (away from the direction it needs to go)
• LA
• Spin cube left
• RA

If right:

• Spin the top to the left (away from the direction it needs to go)
• RA
• Spin cube right
• LA

Step 5: Yellow cross

It may already exist. If it does, skip to 6.

Line

When you look at the top of your cube, you see something like this. Orient your cube like this. Looking down on the top. Y means yellow.

- - -
Y Y Y
- - -

Now solve it like this:

F - RA - F'

Angle

When you look at the top of your cube, you see something like this. Orient your cube like this. Looking down on the top. Y means yellow.

- - -
- Y Y
- Y -

Now solve it like this:

f - RA - f'

Dot

You've got a Line + Angle situation. Do the line sequence. At the end, you should have an angle. Now solve for the angle.

Step 6: Positions of last layer corners

Check for correct positions of the corners. They can be twisted and still be in the correct position. If already positioned, you're good.

Two adjacent corners need to be swapped

Orient them both on the top right. Y indicates yellow. * indicates the corners to swap:

- - *
- Y -
- - *

Now solve it like this:

RAx3 - spin right - LAx3

Diagonal corner swap

Orient the cube like this. Y indicates yellow. * indicates the corners to swap:

- - *
- Y -
* - -

Do the adjacent swap from above. After this move, you'll have an adjacent swap. Orient the cube and do it again.

Twist last layer corners

White side facing up. Find a corner to be twisted and place it so that it's in the bottom right front. Repeat the RA until it's correct. DON'T SPIN THE CUBE TO PUT THE NEXT ONE IN POSITION.

Step 7: Solve last layer edges

You have two possibilities...

One edge solved

RA - LA - RAx5 - LAx5

No edges solved

RA - LA - RAx5 - LAx5 until you get an edge solved, then reorient the cube and solve with the same algorithm used for one edge solved.